Pepsi wants IPL-7 to be held in India

• February 28, 2014
• in Home

The final decision on the venue is expected to be taken at the IPL governing council meeting in Bhubaneswar on Feb 28.

New Delhi: On the eve of the much-anticipated Indian Premier League (IPL) governing council meeting in Bhubaneswar, title sponsors Pepsi have come out in support of not only the other sponsors, but also the eight franchises and said that they hope the BCCI comes up with a solution through which the tournament stays in India.

Despite the dates of the IPL clashing with the general elections, the BCCI has met the home ministry to request for permission to host the domestic T20 league in the country. But Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has made it clear that providing adequate security during general elections is impossible.

But with discussions on the venue of the seventh edition of the IPL being the top agenda in Friday’s meeting, Pepsi has said they are on the same page as the other sponsors and franchises who want the IPL to be played in India.

“We hope BCCI will be able to find a solution, which is in the best interest of all stakeholders,” PepsiCo India’s spokesperson told MAIL TODAY.

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It is no secret that even though Pepsi products are available in South Africa, it is Coke that dominates the market.

But another senior official said that production and market supremacy isn’t a major reason why the company wants the IPL to stay in India. He said that moving out of the country every election year can’t be the best solution.

“See, it is the Indian Premier League and needs to be played in India. We can’t be moving out of the country every fifth year. You need to understand that Pepsi’s standing in the South African market doesn’t count for much as it is the India wing which has done the deal and we can anyway promote our products inside the stadium — as we have a contract with all the franchises.”

“Marketing and strategising isn’t an issue. If that was the case, we would be happy to go to the Middle-East as we are market rulers there. Also, in case we move to South Africa, branding and ensuring that the matches are played to suit the Indian audience’s viewing time isn’t an issue. But building on the euphoria as the tournament comes closer and generating the hype is. To make things simple for the layman, there is always a difference in comfort level when you are staying at your own home and when you are staying at a friend’s place,” he said.

“Yes, we will suffer as far as revenue generation is concerned, but that will be heavier in case of the team owners. So it is more about ensuring that everybody benefits and the losses are minimal. We are still keeping our fingers crossed (smiles).”